Current-motor



T. H. WALKER.

CURRENT MOTOR.

' APPLICATION FILED OCT. 16, I9l9. 1,346,285. Patented July 13, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

MZW

WW1/woo l @5., i atto/waag@ T. H. WALKER. CURRENT MOTOR.

APPLlCATlON FILED OCT-16; 199.

'Patented July 13, 1920;`

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

@WO1/magg T. H. WALKER.

CURRENT MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. I6, 1919.

L. mentari July 33, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

maar orties.

Thomas r-r. fwatirsn, or WALLACE, torino,`

CURRENT-Moron.

Applioationled Uetober 16, 1919.

To all wlw/m t may concern:

Be it known that I', Trroaras H. 'Vl/'annum a citizen ot' the United States, residing at lVallace, in the` county of Shoshone and State oit idaho, have invented certain new and usei'ul Improvements in Current-Motors; and l do ldeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description oi the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to Vmake and use the same.

rlhis invention relates to current motors, and more specih'cally to a torni ot water motor. v

One object of this invention is to genen ally improve upon devices of this character by providing' an improved structure which may be conveniently placed on the sloping,` bank ot a Vstream ot water, and which is exceedingly durable and practical consistent with comparative cheapness or slight cost to manufacture and install.

Other objects and. advantages may become apparent to persons who read 'the following` details ,of description in connection with the accompanyincdrawings in which rligure' l is a perspective View of the complete device installed near a stream of water.

Fig. Q is a vertical sectional view through the axis of the device.

ll is a planvicw of the hub or rotary plate through which the` arms are pivotally connected. i

Fig. l is a perspective detail view illustrating one of the buckets in the position just prior to .that in 'which it is opened for iilischarving' water therefrom.

Fig'.` o is a view similar to YFig'. except that the bucket is in the position for dischargiiip` the water into a trough or receiver.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Figs. l and 5 eirccpt that the bucket is in the position just prior 'to thatin which it is closed.

ligr. 7 is a View similar to Fig. 6 except that the bucket has been closed by a closing element mounted on the trough or receiver.

Referring; to these drawings in detail, in which similar reference characters correspond with similar parts throughout the several views A foundation l of cement is located on the sloping bank o'l a river which is indicated by the arrow, or rather the current oli' the river is indicated by the arrow at the lower portion of Fig. l. A. track of metal Specification of Letters Fatent.

Serial No. 330,995.

:vate

Patented July, 1 3, 1929.

A. pivot or anis 3 is anchored .in`

the foundation l and extends upward through a central opening or bearing in the hub which is indicated separately in Fig. 3. Rollers or casters are secured to the hub l and travel on the track 2, andV it will be seen,thereifore, that the hub a rotates about the axis 3, beingsupported by the wheels or casters 5. Y

Any appropriate number of arms or sweeps 6, preferably an even number, are pivotaliy connectedat 7, to bearings 8, the latter being of any appropriate forni andtheing secured to the hub lor formed integrally therewith according to the preference of the manuiicturer. rlie pivotalA connections 7 are such as to prevent-movement ot the arms 6 with relation to the hub l except about the axes ot the rods or pivot `elements 7.

Each oiC the arms 6 has a roller 9 secured thereon, andthe rollers 9 travel on a cam or guide 10, the latter beine' curved around the hub a and being upwardly inclined from the brink or the stream or water current. Moreover, the inclination or' the member l) is greater than that of the track 2, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, so that as the rollers 9 pass upward along the track l0, they are thrown upward about their pivots T into the `upright position shown in Fig. 2.

Each arm 6 carries a combined paddle and bucket il which is adapted to discharge water into a trough or receiver i9, the lat ter being' located at a level consideraliily above that ci the highest point of the track l0. The buckets ll are ot the improvedconstruction shown more particularly in Figs. ci. to 7 inclusive. Each bucket 1l is provided with an inlet or opening 13 and with an outlet 14. il valve or outlet closer 15 is hinged or otherwiseloosely connected at 1G to each bucket ll, and a spring catch 17 is engageable with the member lo for holding it in the closing position. rllhe spring' catch l? is provided with an outward projection 18 which is adapted to engage with a cam or downwardly inclined rod i9 during movenient ot the buckets over the trough l2, so as to lower the catch 17 and release the 

